


Comfort

by vibingintheinbetween



Series: Phanniemay 2019 [6]
Category: Danny Phantom
Genre: Day 20: Comfort, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Phanniemay 2019 (Danny Phantom), tw suicidal thoughts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-18
Updated: 2020-07-18
Packaged: 2021-03-05 10:07:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25348969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vibingintheinbetween/pseuds/vibingintheinbetween
Summary: Danny spends some time alone with the stars.
Series: Phanniemay 2019 [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1831717
Kudos: 32





	Comfort

**Author's Note:**

> “Isn’t this such a beautiful night?   
> Whoa, we’re underneath a thousand shining stars.   
> Isn’t it nice to find yourself somewhere different?  
> Whoa, why don't you let yourself just be whoever you are?”
> 
> Be Wherever You Are by Aivi and Surasshu

_Isn’t this such a beautiful night?_

Danny lay on his back above the clouds, staying afloat lazily on the breeze, his pupils a curved mirror of the otherworldly lights suspended in the void that was above and around him. Of course, there weren’t as many stars above the densely populated Amity Park as there were at Aunt Alicia’s place, but beggars can’t be choosers. His eyes widened in wonder as he let himself be carried away once more by the beauty of the unknown and the stillness of the night. He could spend eternity here in this moment and, well he wouldn’t be content per se, but losing himself in the stars sounded like a better pastime than losing himself to the thoughts he tried so hard to bury away.

_Whoa, we’re underneath a thousand shining stars._

His bangs were pushed away from his eyes by the deep, frosty exhale that formed little crystals in the cold night before falling apart and away. The thinness of the air at this altitude didn’t bother him at all. At this point he was pretty sure he could fly to space and have no problem with the lack of oxygen. He had always wanted to be closer to the stars, but he thought he’d be older, and in a space shuttle gliding in the vast darkness, not by his own unnatural abilities.

_Isn’t it nice to find yourself somewhere different?_

Danny tore his gaze from the heavens and let gravity tug him gently down. As he passed through the clouds, he turned intangible to avoid being wet. Once through (and tangible once more), Amity Park stretched out before him. It was dark up here, above the orange glow of the streetlights and neon 24-hour shops’ signs. Nevertheless, (and maybe this was due to his enhanced vision) he had a good view of this side of the city. The night was a windy one, with air currents strong enough to worry any experienced pilot. Of course, he lowered himself through them with an experienced ease. The gusts brought up with them the scattered sounds of late night traffic that greeted his ears with the familiarity of home.

_Whoa, why don't you let yourself just be wherever you are?_

His feet made contact with the metal roof of the Ops Center with nothing more than the smallest thump that could easily have been mistaken for the wind. He seated himself in between the bars of the roof’s railing and dangled his legs over the edge, not really wanting to return to his room yet. He shifted his focus to the deserted street below. At this height he knew it wouldn’t do anything, he’d get up sore (and in a bad place) but otherwise fine. But...but maybe if he flew high enough, went from ghost to human, and he just…

_Look at this place, look at your faces._

A stray tear idled away from his eye. He reached with a gloved hand to brush it away. Another one followed in its predecessor’s path. Then a couple dropped down from his other eye. Soon, his silent tears traced familiar paths down his face. He scrubbed hard at his face, to the point of hurting himself with the roughness of his movements. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Everything was stupid. (A small part of him that was admittedly less stupid was telling him that it would probably not be good if Phantom was caught, crying of all things, on top of the Fenton place.)

_I've never seen you look like this before._

Too caught up in his emotions, he didn’t even process the sounds of a door swinging open and shut and of footsteps drawing closer until it was too late. (Speak of the devil....) In the darkness, Danny’s eyes moved upward from the hand that rested on his still-shaking shoulder up to their arm, and finally their face. (...and she will appear.)

_Isn't it nice to find yourself somewhere different?_

Ectoplasm green eyes met a pair of familiar aqua ones. Even through his tear-blurred vision he recognized his sister. Long ribbons of her bright hair were blown between them, breaking the lock on their gazes. Taking the opportunity, his eyes flitted away immediately and he turned from her. He still felt her eyes boring into the back of his head. He didn't know what Jazz was making of all of this, but he definitely wasn’t going to stick around and find out. He easily shrugged off her grip and managed to put some distance between them when “Wait!” came her hoarse call, almost lost in the blustery night. She sounded so desperate, as if she actually needed him there. Danny knew he should leave, but the emotion in her voice stopped him. He turned around and held her gaze just long enough to see how much hurt she was holding within her pale blue irises.

_Whoa, why don't you let yourself just be wherever you are?_

He hesitated, surprised to see Jazz so moved. He knew she must have dealt with crying “patients” before, so this must be nothing new. And she only recently started to show only the slightest hint of support toward Phantom, there was no way she was brought to tears because she saw him cry.

“Please,” she said, a desperate plea. She hadn’t even tried to tuck her hair out of the wind’s way. Her arms were outstretched.

This was a bad idea. He hovered a few meters away, unsure. It would be easy to disappear, to leave. He didn’t owe her anything, not as Phantom at least. He needed to go. He lifted his eyes to hers a third time. The smallest drops that formed at their corners convinced him she was sincere. The next thing he was completely aware of was the fact that he was sobbing harder than ever in her embrace, ignoring the small part of him that wondered what kind of consequences this would entail. Instead, he hugged her tighter as he realized how much he had missed this. The accident had taken away so, so much. He hasn’t had a hug like this in so long. Jazz’s comforting whispers were carried away by the breeze, but they achieved their purpose. His head was clearing, if only for a little while. Their family was broken, twisted in a way that each individual didn’t fully understand. But, as he soaked in her warm presence in the cold and empty night, he knew there was still hope.

_Look at this place, look at your faces._

After what felt like an eternity of strangled sobbing into her shoulder, Danny finally calmed down enough to actually care about the danger this late-night lamentation (hah! Lamentation, take that Mr. Lancer) ft. Jazz posed to his identity remaining a secret. He lifted his head, scooted back a bit, and straightened out. He opened his mouth to speak but closed it again when he realized he didn't know what to say. Or he didn't know what he should say. He certainly knew what Danny Fenton, Jazz’s little brother would say, but Phantom? How would a ghost react to being comforted by the daughter of ghost hunters in the middle of the night? He breathed faster. What was she expecting him to say? He couldn’t even begin to think about how weird this must be for her. How long had that hug lasted? Oh crud, this was complicated. Stupid, stupid, stupi—She took hold of his hand, steadied it (when had he started shaking again?) and pulled all his attention back to her.

_They're shining like a thousand shining stars._

“You don’t have to say anything, it’s alright.” Danny was confused and emotionally drained and he knew that he lacked so much sleep, but most of all, he was grateful. He wanted to make sure he got that across. Because, God knows he was so, so glad she was here tonight. He looked her in the eye and tried to convey all his thankfulness in a hoarse,”Thank you”.

_Isn't it nice to find yourself somewhere different?_

He wanted to say more but he wasn’t sure how to move things along from here. Judging by the look on her face, she wasn’t sure how to move on either now that the hug was over. But she nodded, and he knew she understood. Which was odd. He was sure she’d be all over Phantom, trying to figure out what being dead did to your psyche. But that wouldn’t feel right. Maybe reading all those psychology books made Jazz realize that all he wanted in this moment was some warmth.

_Whoa, why don't you let yourself just be wherever you are?_

He glanced to the east. Midnight was being torn by the light orange rays of sunrise. Jazz followed his eyes to the sky.

“I guess you’ve gotta go?”

He nodded. She gave him a small smile in understanding, dropping his hand. He had a test this morning, not that he could tell her that. He flew upwards, meaning to turn invisible the minute he hit a cloud so he could turn tail and get back to his room before anyone noticed.

_Why don't you let yourself just be somewhere different?_

“W-wait”, she called again. Danny stopped and faced her. “Da-”, she stopped herself mid-word, but she finished,”Don’t hesitate to come back, alright Phantom? I’ll be here.” She smiled and went back into the house.

He paused when she had called him ”Phantom”. Oh right, she doesn’t know. He frowned a little at that. He shook his head, the oddness of the night still registering.

But he was smiling, too.

_Whoa, why don't you let yourself just be whoever you are?_


End file.
